The stamps and cathedrals in detail

1st Class - Lichfield
The only medieval English cathedral with three spires, "the Ladies of
the Vale". The
present Gothic cathedral, on the site of a wooden Saxon church holding
the shrine of St Chad,
was begun in 1195: the beautiful carved stone angel found under the
floor in 2005 may have
come from the original shrine.

48p - Belfast
After the foundation stone of St Anne's was laid in 1899, it was built
around a parish
church which remained in use until the cathedral was complete - only a
window now survives of
the old church. A 100 metre stainless steel spire was added in 2007.

50p - Gloucester
The foundations of the present building were laid by the 11th century
Abbott Serio, but
most is much later Gothic. One 14th century stained glass window has
the earliest known image of
golf - proving to the satisfaction of the proud citizens that the game
is not a Scottish invention.

56p - St
Davids - Eglwys
Gadeiriol
Tyddewi
St David's occupies the site of the saint's monastery at the most
westerly point in the British
Isles, a shrine so important that in 1081 William the Conqueror himself
came. The present
building was begun in 1181, damaged by structural failure and
earthquake a century later, and
left so ruinous by the Civil War that restoration took centuries.

72p - Westminster
The cathedral, on the site of the old Tothill Fields prison, was
designed by John Francis
Bentley after seeking inspiration in Romanesque cathedrals on the
continent, including St Mark's
in Venice. Work began in 1895, its great striped campanile soon rose
higher than the western
towers of the nearby Abbey. It opened in 1903, but work on the interior
mosaics continues
to this day.

81p - St
Magnus
... was begun in 1137 by Earl Rognvald Kolsson to enshrine the bones of
the
murdered saint, his uncle - and to further his campaign to wrest
control of the entire kingdom
of Orkney. It is unique in belonging, by royal decree, to the people of
Kirkwall, not the diocese,
and still has many links with Scandinavia, including the Norwegian
system of bell ringing.

Miniature sheet 2 x 1st Class 2 x 81p - St Paul's CathedralBackground information by the Dean and Chapter House of St Paul's
Cathedral
St Paul's is the Cathedral Church of the diocese of London, which it
has served for over 1,400
years. One of the world's most beautiful and elegant buildings, it has
become a potent symbol of
the life of the nation. Throughout its history, the Cathedral has
remained a vibrant place of
worship, retreat and wonder.

Raised to the ground by the Great Fire of London in 1666, Old St
Paul's made way for the
current Cathedral: Sir Christopher Wren's Baroque masterpiece. Built in
the Age of
Enlightenment, the reconciliation of faith and science are symbolised
by the Cathedral's elevating
and awe-inspiring dome.

Since it's completion in 1710, the Cathedral has served as the
nation's parish church on days of
triumph and sorrow. From Lord Nelson's funeral, to the thanksgiving
service for the end of World
War II, many have looked to St Paul's in moments of crisis and
celebration.

Today, the Cathedral remains the seat of the Bishop of London; a
church at the heart of an
active and diverse diocese. Majestic and atmospheric, it welcomes many
thousands of visitors
through its doors each year for services, concerts, debates, performing
arts and sightseeing.